unadult
1
9.9
Not mature in behaviour or interests, like a child
- adjective
- /ˌʌnəˈdʌlt/
- Informal
:
no adulto
- The unadult attitude of the group made it difficult to hold a proper discussion on serious topics.
Examples
-
She noted how unadult the boy looked sitting where her own children sat, even though he was obviously consumed with adult concerns.
Fiction book (1993) -
His behavior at the party was so unadult that everyone dismissed him as too immature to be taken seriously.
-
When faced with responsibilities, she often acted in an unadult manner, avoiding decisions like a child would.
Synonyms
subadult
vsunadult
1
6.8
Not fully grown but almost mature
is broader and means lacking grown qualities or status rather than being nearly mature
1
9.9
A person who is younger than the legal age to be an adult
is broader and covers lack of maturity or social status beyond legal age
nonadult
vsunadult
1
5.6
Not yet fully grown or mature
has identical meaning but differs in form or label
How Mature
Surface Forms
unadult positive
Morphology
Etymology
Unadult comes from the familiar prefix un- meaning 'not' and adult meaning 'grown' or 'mature'. Think of it as 'not grown-up', so unadult describes people, places, or behaviour that lack adult qualities.